More info on No. 47 Beveridge Street

No 47 Beveridge Street

Another very old house in the street, there is a date on the rear gable wall suggesting it was built in 1689. It was originally a farmhouse and the farmyard and buildings included the land which is now occupied by no.45. It is shown on the 1816 Watkinson map of Barrow as forming part of the estates of George Watkinson of Woodhouse Eves.

In the mid 19th century, the farm was owned by the Cross family. The Cross family came from London- there is a reference in Lucy Cross‘s scrapbook (see below) that “Mr Cross" was originally a draper in London, partner in the firm of Sewell and Cross of Old Compton Street. Mr Charles Cross was a member of the School Board and was a leading figure in the local Baptist Church and a stone laid by his wife in 1872 commemorates its re-building. Charles Cross died in 1890 and his wife moved some time thereafter to Vera Villa, a house (no.33?) in Warner Street built in 1895. He had a daughter Lucy who kept a scrapbook recording events from 1865 until the 1920‘s - such as holidays in Whitby, and a brother Fred who seems to have been in the acting profession (a 1907 card from him in London to Lucy refers to himself as “still resting, unfortunately").

After Mrs Cross moved to Warner Street, the farm was purchased by Thomas Ball, the grandfather of Mrs Graham who lives at 45 Beveridge Street, and it was then used as a builder‘s yard for many years. The electrical shop now run by Philip Graham stands in the front corner.

In the early 1900‘s, Dr Andrew Gray came to the village to work with his uncle who was the village doctor in Sileby and he boarded at no.47. Subsequently he bought the house when Mr Ball moved to a bungalow he built on Cotes Road. No 47 became the Surgery for the village until the Health Centre was opened in 1975. Older residents can still remember queues of patients for the surgery stretching down Beveridge Street. When patients called at the house during the night Dr Gray spoke to them through a speaking tube which was beside his bed, patients were a bit taken aback when they heard a voice coming apparently from the wall beside the door Dr Gray was the father of Dr Eva Shirreffs who lived for many years at The Mount in the High Street. The most recent occupants have been Drs John and Margaret Earl, John becoming the senior partner in the Barrow Health Centre following the death of Dr James Shirreffs.

Dr Gray was a very keen gardener and bought some of the land which belonged to No 49 in order to grow vegetables. He also bought two allotments which were eventually compulsorily purchased to form the playing fields of Hall Orchard School